Pitman connection.



J. W. KAYS.

PITMAN CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED nor. 6, 1913.

1,174,324. Patented Mar. 7 191 6. Y

- 26 '51 H H 1} H h ll 2 v I 7 9 22 3 2! [I 46 7 THE COLUMBIAPLAYIXOORAPH cm, WASHINGTON, D. c.

I JOSEPH W.jKAYS, or EUGENE, OREGON.

PITMAN CONNECTION.

Application filed October 6, 1913; Serial No. 793,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. KAYs, a citizen of the United States,residlng at Eugene, in the county of Lane and State of Oregon, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pitman Connections, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pitman connections and while the connectionembodying the present invention is designed primarily for use with thehead of a' knife bar of a mowing machine, it is not limited to such usebut may be employed in various mechanisms.

The invention aims to supply a novel connection between the pitman andthe knife.

head of a mowing machine, thereby admitting of the coupling anduncoupling being readily effected and the joint automaticallycompensating for wear and variations, so as to obviate looseness andrattle and to insure positive movement of the knife bar without any playor lost motion,-which is objectionable for various reasons.

Theinvention is designed more particularly as an improvement on thepitman connection shown in Patent No. 935,140, issued September 28,1909, to W. L. Chrysler and myself, one feature of improvement residingin the provision of means for varying th leverage which may be broughtto bear when the socket members of the connection are closed about thehead of the knife bar or other element to be driven, the connectionbeing in this manner adapted for employment with knife bars of varioustypes and having different sizes of heads and being further betteradapted to compensate for wear. 7

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the connectionembodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectiontlierethrough. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the line 33 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fulcrum for the lever whichis provided for closing the socket of the connection. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the socket members detached.

In the drawings the pitman proper is indicated by the numeral 1 and theconnection therefor consists essentially of two socket members, oneindicated by the nu- -meral 2 and the other by the numeral 3. 1 Thesesocket members are provided with at.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7,1916.

taching portions or shanks 4 secured to opposite sides of the pitman 1by rivets or bolts 5 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2of the drawings. The member 3 is relatively rigidbut, as will beobserved from an inspection of Fig. 2, the member 2 is sprungslightly'from that side of the pitman 1 to which it is connected, as

indicated at .6, so that it will possess the desired degree ofresiliency adapting it to besprung toward the socket member 3 in orderto close the socket members about the ball member of the connectionwhich is indicated in general by the numeral 7. The members 2 and 3 areformedrespectively attheir ends which project beyond the end of thepitman 1, with sockets or cupped heads 8 and 9, the concave sides ofwhich are, of course, presented toward each other. The member 2 isformed with a slot 10 and with a bail 11 extending transversely of theslot. This bail 11 constitutes a connection for the closing lever of thedevice as will be presently explained.

g The socket member 3 -is formed directly opposite the slot. 10 with aslot 12 and the lever above mentioned and indicated inthe drawings bythe numeral 13, has an angularly' extending end portion 14 terminatingin a hook 15, the portion 14 being inserted through the slots 12 and 10and the hooked end 15 being engaged with the bail 11 in the mannerclearly shown in Fig. 2.

The body portion of the lever is provided with a handle portion 16 whichis tapered in the direction of its free end whereby it'will possess thedesired degree of resiliency and the said portion is formed at itsextremitywith a short bend 17 over which may be engaged a keeper yoke 18pivoted as at 19 at'that side of the pitman opposite the side adjacentto the handle portion of the lever, as shown in Fig. 1, it beingunderstood that the keeper yoke servesto hold the lever when the latteris swung to close the socket of the connection.

trated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings and is preferably in the natureof a yoke freely slidable upon the body portion of the lever, theopposite sides of the yoke, indicated one by the numeral 20 and theother by the numeraL21, constituting the fulcrum portions upon which thelever is to be rocked. It will be obselVfid that the portion 20 is ofless The fulcrum for the lever is clearly illus-- height thanthejportion 21" and it} may here be stated that the yoke is reversibleup'oiithe lever as well as slidable thereon so either of its saidportions 20 0i Q-Pinaybe' positioned between the body portion of thelever and theouter side of the socket meni her 3, depending upon thedegree of: leverage desired to be secured; In orden't'ha't" the yokewhen adjusted upon the lever may be held against accidentaldisplacement, that side of the body portionof the lever' which ispresented toward the socket" memberB' is formedwitha series of notches22 inwhich the-fulcrum portions20'or 21 may be inter changeably engaged.Inasmuch as the notches 22 extend in aseries lengthwise of the bodyportion of the lever it will be u'n derstood I that by adj usting theyoke toward the endlt of the lever the'levera'gemaybe increased and itwill also be 'understoddth'at when the" fulcruni' portion" 20' is inposition"- between the lever and the socket member 3; the leverage willbe less than" whenthe'por tion 21 is so positioned? It will be understood, therefore, that by" reversing: and slid: ably adjusting theful'CIUHF yoke shown in Flgkl, upon the'bo'dy portion ofthelever, thisdegree of adjustment ofleverage may be secured-and the socket membersmay, there-- fore, be caused to gripthe head 7' o'r other element" withwhich they are engaged,- with exactly the desired degree of firmnessandwithout so binding as to rende-r't'heconnec'-' tion stiff, or soloose as to'permitof rattling? While the employmentof a fulcrum suchas'shown in Fig. 4, adjustabl'e asshownand described; will allow ofconsiderable latitude" of adjustment of leverage and therefore? adapttheconnection for use with heads of Various SlZG'S',lt will at timesbefoiind d6? sirable' or necessary to secure" a finer ad justmentf thancanbe obtained by the useof said fulcrurni For this purpose there isprovided an adjusting screw*23"adji1s'tahly threaded throughanopeningeriatm mam: her 3 and adapted to serve" asa fulcru riifor thelever, this screw being pr'oyi ded at its" end, which islocate'd hetweenthe masters QTan'd 3; witha head 25'by nieans'ofwliichit' 'm'a-y beadjusted and having" threeded uponit a set nut 26' which may betightehed to hold it at ustment; By the use of this screw" it will beapparent that a fiiie degree of adjustment can be secured so that theheadfl'i will he engaged with exactly the desird'degreeof firmness.

It will be understood that the connection is equally well adapted for anew head or for a head that has been in use and whose bearingniember hasbecome worn. It will he'apparent that when the link is disengagedfrointhe lever, the socket member's-willautomaticall'y-"separa-teorspread, thereby releasing the ball 0]": the bearing member and admittingof the pitin'an being: quickly and easily disconnectedfrom the knifehead.

Havingithusdescribed the invention; What yondthe outer- 'side of 'themernber in which it firs-mounted:

2; In a pitman connection, socket mem hers, one of Sand. members beingprovided with a bair extending transversely of a" slot therein, theother member being:- formed with sloti, a lever for closing: the socketmembers having an angular heoke'd end. in

serted" tlirduglf the slot" in the secondmen tinned member and engagedwith the said bail, Ine reiiiova'hly' "engaged "with the end of thele'ver fohh'oldin'g the saine'in position beside the' s'e'eondn'rientioned member,- and a screwflthreadjed through theseeondmentioried' member" and bearing at its" end against-ans inner side of"the lever' near the hooked ericl thereof, the head end' of the screwbeing-housed between the said" members.

Tfites titiieny whereof I signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH w; KAYS'. [Li a] Witnesses? L J,:. A v Fo o'n'riflny G. Di

